No fatalities

25 Jul 2013: MCDONNELL DOUGLAS HELICOPTER 369E — Paradise Helicopters — Hilo, HI

Hilo, HI, United States

On 25 Jul 2013, a MCDONNELL DOUGLAS HELICOPTER 369E operated by Paradise Helicopters was involved in an aviation accident near Hilo, HI. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: A loss of engine power due to the pilot's improper planning and mismanagement of the fuel supply, which resulted in fuel exhaustion. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 16 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

During a round trip tour, the pilot reported low fuel and requested priority. The engine lost power, and the pilot autorotated to a field. The skid collapsed, causing the helicopter to roll over and sustain substantial damage.

Flight Details

The helicopter was conducting a round trip tour flight. During the flight, the pilot assessed the fuel state as low and decided to return to the departure airport. Upon entering the airport environment, the pilot requested priority handling due to the low fuel condition.

Engine Failure and Autorotation

Shortly after the request, the engine lost power. The pilot initiated an autorotation to a field located at the approach end of the runway. The maneuver was performed to reach a suitable landing area.

Landing and Damage

During the landing, the helicopter's skid collapsed. The helicopter then rolled over onto its right side. The event resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft. The operator stated that there were no preimpact malfunctions or failures with the engine or airframe that would have prevented normal operation.

Contributing factors

Fluid managementPilot